Refrigerator shelf



May 27, 1947. H. E. SMITH REFRIGERATOR SHELF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D90. 31, 1943 mg 4 1 1 Q 1 firizfl WM 7 \H i .J H a v z I Z ..v a m. w ,0 x 9 9 d 4 4.W 4 M 1 May 27, 1947. H. E. SMITH I 2,421,089

REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed Dec. 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Izwenfiiw- Patented May 27, 1947 REFRIGERATOR SHELF Helen E. Smith, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Phllco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 31, 1943, Serial No. 516,484

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a novel shelf construction for refrigerator cabinets.

It has been common practice to provide refrigerator cabinets with shelving arrangements wherein a container, such as a hydrator or crisper pan, is supported-upon one portion of a fixed framing member, and the conventional open wire shelf upon another portion of said member. One fault of these prior arrangements has been the failure to provide for interchange of the hydrator and shelf elements, ability to thus change the relative positions of the elements aiding materially the efficient stowage offoodstuffs in the refrigerator. Furthermore, hydrators in modern refrigerators are usually equipped with glass covers which are a material complication in the shifting of the hydrator and wire shelf sections.

It is an important object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a refrigerator shelf structure having easily removable and interchangeable shelf sections.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a shelf structure comprising a unitary framing structure which is common to the several interchangeable sections.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a shelf structure adapted to be removably supported within the refrigerator by conventional means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator shelf incorporating novel support means for the interchangeable sections thereof.

It is also an object to provide a sectional shelf structure for refrigerator cabinets whereby the sectional parts thereof may be arranged interchangeably in various desired positions such as side by side or in tiers, or otherwise.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel support means for a container or hydrator wherein the said container is slidably supported wholly by the glass cover therefor.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide such a shelf structure which may be quickly and easily shifted to different positions within the refrigerator cabinet.

The invention further contemplates a shelf of the stated type which is of inexpensive construction, of rugged design and pleasing appear- These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description considered in connection with the several views of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the shelf structure of the present invention, and showing several arrangements of the shelf sections thereof;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a shelf structure embodying the principles of the present invention, said structure being removed from the refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, taken on lines 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a detail of the shelf structure; and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of an element of the shelf structure detached from said structure.

Referring particularly to Fig, l of the drawings, the numeral l0 designates a domestic refrigerator having a food storage compartment I I with an evaporator l2 located in the upper left hand portion thereof, and storage shelves l3, l4, l5 and I6. As herein illustrated, shelves i5 and I6 embody the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the shelves l5 and [6 each comprises a main support member in' the form of a peripheral frame l8 of which the side portions l9 and 20 are preferably solid square rods, and the front and rear portions, 2! and 22 respectively, are inwardly facing channel members. One or more centrally disposed reinforcing rods 23 having the end portions thereof secured to the opposed channel portions 2| and 22 may be provided if desired,-

and, as herein illustrated, serve to divide the area, bounded by the frame l8 into left and right separate sections 24 and 25 respectively.

It can be seen by reference to Fig. 3 that the front channel portion 2| has its lower flange 26 extended beyond the edge 21 of the upper flange 28, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. It is to be noted also that the rear channel 22 is of greater depth than the front channel 2| and that it carries a plurality of elongated resilient members 29, each of which has at one end thereof (Fig. 5) a pin 3| extending downwardly into the interior of the rear channel portion 22 through an opening 32 therein. On the same end of each of the resilient members 29 is an upwardly turned finger grip portion 33. The other end of the member is riveted or otherwise secured to the rear channel portion as at 35.

A hydrator or crisper pan 36 is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and i, said hydrator 0r pan being suspended posed in the right hand area 25 of the frame, and

supported in the channels 2| and 22. The pan is supported by means of double channel sections 38 and 89 having upper and lower channels 40 and 4| respectively. The upper channels 4|! are firmly secured over the side edges 42 and 43 of the glass shelf, as by some suitable cement or by other effective means. The hydrator has outwardly turned flanges 44 adapted to cooperate with the lower channel 4| to slidingly support the hydrator in the channel sections.

A feature of the above arrangement resides in the fact that the distance between the vertical bottom walls of the front and rear channels 2| and 22 is greater than the overall front to rear dimension of the glass shelf section and that the rear channel is of sufficient depth to permit the rear edge 45 of the glass shelf 31, when the pins 3| have been withdrawn by flexing the members 29 upwardly, to move rearwardly in the. channel to an extent such that the forward edge 46 of the shelf may clear the inner edge 21 of the upper flange 28 of the forward channel portion 2|, whereby the forward edge portion of the glass may be inserted or withdrawn from the frame. After insertion the glass shelf 31 may be shifted forwardly in the channels 2| and 22 to an extent permitting the pins 3| to reenter the channel 22 through the openings 32 to a position behind the rear edge 45 of the glass shelf 31 (Fig. 3), thereby positively looking the glass in the frame and holding the glass against undesired shiftin movement when the hydrator 36 is slid along the lower channel 4|. The left hand area 24 of the shelf structure I 5 is exactly similar to the above described right hand area 25 and, as shown, has an open wire shelf section. 41 of approximately the same dimensions as the glass shelf 31 removably secured therein in the same manner as the glass shelf 31 is secured in the right hand area, 25.

While other conventional means may be used to support the aforedescribed shelf structure within the food compartment one such means as illustrated may include a pair of lugs 48 on each side bar i9 and 20 of the frame l8, which lugs are designed to cooperate in well known manner with sockets 49 on the side walls of the food compartment l I.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the presentinvention is quite flexible in its arrangement. In the present instance hydrators 36 are mounted in both the left and right hand areas 24 and 25 of the frame l8 of the lower shelf |6, and two wire shelf sections 41 are mounted within the areas 24 and 25 of the frame l8 of the intermediate shelf l5. If desired, other arrangements may be readily secured by change in the relative positions of the hydrators and wire shelf sections, each of which may assume any one of four possible positions in the two shelves.

When only one shelf embodying the present invention has been supplied with a refrigerator, it may readily be repositioned to a desired location within the cabinet by exchange with one or other of the standard shelves having a detachable mounting corresponding to that described above.

When it is desired to reposition a hydrator, it is slid from its channel support 4|, and glass shelf 31 is then removed by retracting the pins 3| from the rear channel 22, shifting the glass shelf 31 rearwardly untilits front edge 46 will clear the edge 21 of the upper flange 28 of the front channel portion 2|, and thereafter liftinz the front edge of the glass upwardly from this channel and drawing it forwardly out of the rear channel portion 22. The glass may be inserted elsewhere by simply reversing the process as explained.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the invention provides a novel refrigerator shelf structure having removable and interchangeable shelf and hydrator sections and aunitary'frame adapted to cooperate with conventional shelf mounting means for support within the cabinet, said structure including novel means within the frame for releasably securing said shelf sections to the latter. The shelf structure is of rugged design, inexpensive construction and pleasing appearance.

While I have shown and described the invention in but one form, it will be understood that there may be modifications within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator shelf structure, a substantially rectangular shelf section, support means for said shelf section, said support means including a rigid frame having opposed first and second channel portions at opposite sides thereof respectively in which opposite edges of said shelf section are seated, the first of said channel portions being positioned with respect to the second so that one edge of said shelf section may be introduced into the first channel to an extent permitting the opposite edge to be lowered into registry with and subsequently drawn into the second channel without completely withdrawing the said section from the first channel, and means for releasably retaining said shelf sction within said channels, said means comprising reillently pressed retraotible pins mounted on the first of the said channels in position behind the edge of the shelf section after said section has been drawn into said second channel.

2. A shelf structure including a unitary frame, said frame comprising side rod portions and front and rear opposed channel portions and having a plurality of substantially rectangular, shelf areas, shelf sections releasably and interchangeably mounted in the frame within said areas and each having opposite edges seated within said channel portions, and means associated with said channel portions for releasably holding said shelf areas against accidental displacement from the frame, said means comprising a plurality of resiliently pressed retractible pins having an operative position at one of the said edges of the respective shelf sections when said sections are seated within said channels.

3. In a refrigerator shelf structure, a rigid frame having an inwardly facing channel at each of two opposite sides thereof, a shelf section having opposite edge portions seated in said channels, said channels being relatively positioned so that an edge of said shelf section may be inserted into one channel to an extent permitting the opposite edge of the section to be brought into registry with and subsequently shifted into the other channel, and means for releasably locking said shelf section within said opposed channels, said locking means comprising a retractable pin mounted in the channel first-named and having an operative position behind the edge of the shelf section wherein said pin prevents movement of the section from said shifted position.

4.A shelf structure including a unitary frame member comprising side portions and front and rear opposed channel portions and embracing a plurality of shelf areas, and a substantially rectangular shell section releasably and interchange ably supported in the frame within each of said areas and having its front and rear edges seated in said channel portions, one or said channel portions being or greater depth than the other, whereby one edge or the individual shelf section may be first introduced into the channel portion of greater depth and the opposite edge of the section then drawn into the other channel portion and to the bottom of the latter while the said first-named edge portion remains in said deeper channe1, said channel of greater depth being provided with retractable pin means having an operative position behind the edge of the shelf section to prevent displacement or the said 6 section in the said channel to an extent freeing the opposite edge of the section from the channel of lesser depth.

HELEN E. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,065,116 Constantine Dec. 22, 1936 2,292,865 Boddy Aug. 11, 1942 2,241,953 Brightman May 6, 1941 1,889,218 Reedy Nov. 29, 1932 2,118,213 Maiott May 24, 1938 2,128,916 Parrish Aug. 16, 1938 2,098,277

Keighley a Sept. 14, 1937 

